Birthday Ball
by cartoongeek13
Summary: First attempt at Romance. Every year on her birthday, Princess Nickole's parent's put together a Birthday Ball (hence the title) where only important people are invited. But what if a few commoners sneak in and find love? Yayness. Pairings: you'll find out, trust me. T just because. Set in Fairy Tale Land.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Ok, so I've been up since 2 in the morning writing this because I couldn't sleep. So, yeah. :P**

**Disclaimer: Never.**

* * *

**In The Castle**

Nickole sighed heavily. Another year, another overly extravagant birthday party for "Daddy's Little Princess".

This much anticipated event usually includes formal dancing, tight-fitting corsets, ___huge _ball gowns with puffed sleeves, exotic food, and stuffy rich people demanding the utmost respect from anyone and everyone they encounter. All this meant to Nickole was painful hours of etiquette training from her mother, the queen.

___"And all for people I don't even know!" _she thought bitterly, passing servant after servant on the way to her rather bland room.

Said room consisted of a simple bed, too large, a spacious wardrobe, containing outfits too over-the-top in fashion, and a small writing table in the corner opposite the bed. A few half-finished letters and books cluttered the little space on the surface of the desk and a few even spilled onto the rose-pink colored chair pushed up to it. This chair was one of the few things of color that popped in the wooden room, such as the also rose bed comforter and the vase of wildflowers on the very edge of the table.

Nickole gently lifted the withering flowers out of the glass vase and replaced them with fresh daisies, pink roses, and white irises. It was color, but not too much color, the way she liked it.

"_This seems natural," _ she thought, arranging the flowers carefully. _"unlike Mom and Dad's bright_ _gowns."_ she wrinkled her nose in distaste. They were so brightly colored sometimes that they hurt her eyes. But flowers offered a softer, more welcome color.

A light knock on the door brought Nickole out of her ideas on color and into the real world. Where the Birthday Ball was lurking. She headed toward the door, but her mother opened it herself when she was a mere five feet away.

The queen gave a heavy sigh. "You've got to be quicker to the door, dear," she scolded. "or the suitor might think you've already turned him down."

Nickole blanched. She had completely forgotten about those clowns. Honestly, thinking they can win a girl's heart with money and pretty things and hastily purchased gifts.

She composed herself and directed her mother to the bed. "Oh, I wasn't aware those...gentlemen were attending the ball." she forced a smile.

"Oh, yes!" her mother offered a big smile, swooshing her lime green skirt as she strolled to the bed and sat down. "And I'm certain they'll win you over this time!"

"_Sure they will, Mom." _Nickole thought dryly, but answered, "We can only hope I suppose."

The queen's smile grew bigger at the thought of her daughter marrying. "Oh, we had better get started on your lessons on proper manners and etiquette then!" she reached over and took her daughter's hand. "We want to make a good first impression."

She straightened her back and began, "Now, let's start with a proper greeting and-"

"But, Mom," Nickole protested. "I already learned all this last year! And the year before that. And-"

The queen simply waved off her further objections. "Now, now, Koley," she grimaced at the nickname. "We should all learn proper manners and etiquette at least once a year!"

Koley sighed. "Alright. I'll _try_."

The queen clapped her hands together a few times. "Alrighty then! Let us start with a curtsy..."

"_And so this torture begins anew."_

* * *

**In The Village**

An older woman with tied-back, gray-streaked hair walked to the front door of the almost empty jeweler's shop.

"Joseph! We need some help with work today. The ball is in three days, and your brother will be out until nightfall!" she yelled to a blond-haired teen and his friends Garfield, Malcolm and Kori, also teens.

"So...your parents are making the jewelry for the Birthday Ball this year?" Garfield asked bluntly, lifting himself up off the ground.

Joseph nodded quietly.

"...quaint."

Joseph made a face that said "not if you have to do the work".

Mal laughed. "Yes, King John and Queen Eleanor were dressed in quite a selection of jewelry last year, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have even more on this time. With the kingdom thriving and such things."

They all nodded, Mal would know. With his father being the chief herald to the throne he heard all about the lavish parties and wonderful food of the palace, things people outside the outer walls wouldn't normally know.

He also heard about the princess.

"Dad told me that she's got pink hair if the sun shines on it just right." or "I heard she's a little thing." he'd say.

Needless to say, they all enjoyed the stories, and often passed them on to whoever would listen. Even Joseph, who was usually silent around anyone he didn't know well.

"We have much to do." Joseph confirmed.

"Oh! Then we shall leave you to do the jeweling, yes?" Kori asked, jumping up from the ground and heading toward her house.

"Jooooeee," Gar dragged out the name. "do we have to go?"

Joe thought for awhile, and shook his head. Gar's whining expression turned into a wide grin as he sprinted up the front steps and into the shop.

"Come on, then!"

Mal shrugged. "I'll go fetch Kori. She likes watching you work." And with that, he headed after the red-head.

Joseph nodded and headed into the shop.

* * *

**Nickole's Room **

"No, no, no! You walk with your back perfectly straight, like so!" Queen Eleanor moved from one end of the room to the other without one book slipping off the stack. "Now, you try again, dear."

Nickole gingerly placed the thick books on her head and attempted walking to her mother, who stood not 10 feet away. Sadly, the books fell after a few short steps.

_"Ugh, how many years of practice did I have to figure this out?" _she mentally scolded.

Queen Eleanor managed a small smile of encouragement.

_"I can do this." _

She quickly picked up the four books and placed them on her head. Then cautiously, and slowly, moved forward until she was beside her mother, who was beaming with pleasure.

"Now," the queen shook her head in dismay. "what to do with this room?"

Nickole looked taken back. "Whatever is wrong with my room, mother?"

"Just look at it! How colorless and unexciting! And we are known for our lush colors!" she spread her lime skirt out like wings.

She turned to Nickole. "We certainly cannot have your suitors meet you in this drab, dingy room!"

The princess groaned, "But I_ like _my room this way..."

"But your_ future husband_ won't!" the queen huffed indignantly. "You fix..._this_," she waved her arms about. "And we will start on good table manners tomorrow."

She picked up her skirt and strode out of the room, probably going to plan for the ball. The princess sighed.

_"I hope I can change it back after Prince Charming leaves."_


	2. Goofing Off

**AN: Well, I'm updating fairly quickly on this compared to my other story. I have a bit of writer's block with that right now, but I'll try writing a little later. **

**Anyways, I'll try putting in more dialogue this chapter and some more story. Because there is SOME story in this. XD **

**Disclaimer: Pfft, I wish. **

* * *

**In The Jeweler's Shop **

"Joseph," Kori began, turning a shimmering stone over in her hands. She held it out to him and asked, "what species of stone is this?"

He looked it over once and said, "It's an emerald," and quickly added, "and it's a _type _of stone not a species." he turned his attention back to the necklace in his hands. A few rubies here and there and it would be finished.

"Uh, Kori," she turned to Gar questioningly. "it's usually animals of a certain kind that are called a species. Not rocks." the carrot-top chimed in, examining a few of the jewels himself.

"Oh."

"And you would know. " Mal smiled, holding a deep blue sapphire to the sunlight streaming through the single window.

Gar was an animal lover, anyone could tell that. He owned a pet dog, cat, goat, sheep, lizard, fox, and even a bat. The first few were kept for obvious reasons, those being security, mousing, and milk and wool to sell, but the rest were there for other reasons. The lizard, Thomas, was found by a young Garfield, who thought it was a baby dragon, and who begged his parents to let him keep it. They reluctantly agreed, and his animal obsession continued from then on. He was given the dog and cat for payment when his employer was short on money and his parents paid for the goat and the sheep, but he found Isabella and Frederick on his own. Isabella an abandoned kit, Frederick a helpless bat with a broken wing.

His friends didn't know how he talked his parents into keeping all of them, but they had heard about his persuasive puppy-dog eyes.

"But of course," Garfield grinned and headed toward his hooded friend. "And what do _you _know, about the ball?" Kori's ears perked up at the word 'ball'.

Mal gently put down the stone and leaned against the wall surrounding the window. He put on a small smile and asked teasingly, "What do you _want_ to know?"

Kori shot towards him and started firing off questions, "Who is coming? What does it look like? What will the king and queen look like? And the princess? Are commoners invited this time? What type of food will be served? How long will the party be? Will the party be inside or outside the palace?"

"Come on, Mal! " Gar poked at him playfully. "Details!"

Mal sighed lightly and gently pushed Kori away before answering, "I don't know all of the people who are coming or what the party will look like or how long it will be, but Dad heard that Bruce, the Dark Knight of Gotham, and his illegitimate son Richard are attending. As are-"

"Hold on," interrupted Gar. "isn't Richard a suitor for the princess this year?"

"Yes," Kori answered. "and he was one last year too. Same as Wallace of Centaria and Gavin of Stormton."

"Ah."

Mal started again after a few seconds of silence, "Sir Trigon and Lady Arella of Azareth and their daughters Rachel and Jeanette are also planning to attend. The king and queen will be dressed in pinks and reds this year, for the princess' sake. The princess-"

"What do you mean by 'for the princess' sake'?" they all turned to Joseph, who had set the necklace aside to listen to the news. "Does she not enjoy her own ball?"

Mal shook his head. "Dad says she just eats and stands around, only dancing a few times with the king or one of her suitors." he smiled wryly. "You think she'll finally pick one this year?"

"Yes. She must do so, for she must be married soon after her sixteenth day of birth in this kingdom." Kori sighed. "But she does not love the men the king and queen have shown her."

Gar raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?" he now sat on the stool nearest Joseph, slightly leaning forward.

"If she loved one, _truly _loved one, she would have said so and they would be courting now and the kingdom would rejoice and-." she hung her head sadly. "but this is not the case," she hesitated before continuing, "and if even the princess cannot find true love..."

"Kori," she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Mal. His hood was down, a sign that he was completely serious. "you _will _find true love," he smiled and gestured to Joseph and Gar. "or _we_ will find him for you."

She smiled. "This is meant to be a threat, yes?" Gar and Mal laughed and Joseph gave her a wide smile.

"Joseph, are you now finished with work?" Kori asked, pointing to the finished necklace on the table, a simple and small one compared to the the others. The rubies were arranged in the shape of a flower with a few rose quartz as accents, all of which sparkling beautifully in the dwindling sunlight.

Joseph lit a candle before answering, "Yes, I am done for the day. And you had better get home before dark." he directed at Kori, before adding, "Mal and Gar are staying with me tonight."

Kori gasped. "But Mal has not answered all of my questions!"

Joseph gave a small smile and went out of the room, a few minutes later returning with the news that Kori could spend the night too. She was happy to say the least.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later **

"What do we do now?" asked a bored Gar, who was idly playing with a necklace until Joe snatched it away. Now he just sat cross-legged on the dirt floor, occasionally making circles in it with his fingers.

"Mal still has to answer Kori's questions." Joseph suggested, sitting down across from their hooded friend.

Kori nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Please, do tell of the ball!"

"Alright, I'll answer the questions. We were on the princess, right?" A collective nod. "The princess will be dressed in white, as usual, to signify that she is ready to marry. Sorry, Kori, but commoners aren't invited this year either." her face fell in disappointment.

"Well, who needs the rich and famous when you have us?" Gar gave her his best smile and she giggled.

Mal continued, "I heard that fish from Gotham were provided by the Dark Knight and herbal teas were provided by Sir Trigon, but that is all the food I know of. The party will be a few hours, but not too long into the night. And finally, it will be outside unless weather intervenes."

Kori squealed and clapped her hands together excitedly. "How wonderful it would be to be invited to such a ball!"

Gar joined in, "Yes, you would be the loveliest Lady in all of the ball, and I would be," he paused dramatically. "Sir Garfield, The Amazing!" he jumped up and grabbed a bulky, garnet-encrusted necklace and put it on. "And I would be so rich I could buy this expensive necklace with not even half of my treasury!"

Joseph smiled at his performance and quipped, "I don't think even one-third, Your Sirness."

"Of course! And for reminding me, I dub thee...Sir Joseph!" he knighted him with an imaginary sword. "Now stand and be as amazing as I!" Sir Joseph played along while Gar and Kori piled jewelry on him, laughing with them the whole time. Even when you are older, you can still have fun playing around with your friends.

With that in mind, Mal finally joined in by blowing an imaginary horn and avidly announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, royals and commoners alike, may I introduce to you with respect-no, with honor the wonderful, the marvelous, the rich, the good, the grand and honorable Sir Joseph!" he bowed animatedly to the pretend Sir, barely stifling his laughter.

Clapping from the doorway jolted them out of their world of make-believe and into reality, where the smiling king and queen stood not twenty feet away from them.

* * *

**AN: Yay, chapter 2 is finished! It's a bit long, but it was fun to write. And I definitely hope it was fun to read. **

******Speaking of reading, a big "Thanks!" to TheBeatles141 and lovingrace for reviewing and I hope you review again. :) **

**And sorry for the cliffhanger, I just didn't want this to be, like, 3000 words or anything. XD **


	3. Sir Joseph

**AN: I don't really have anything to say but this: "Sir" Joseph and his friends are in trouble now. **

**Disclaimer: I SO do not own Teen Titans. **

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**In The Jeweler's Shop **

The four friends froze completely, not daring to breathe. Kori and Gar picking up jewelry, Mal bowing to "Sir" Joseph, and the young jeweler himself wearing heavy necklaces and bracelets, literally, fit for the king and queen themselves. Said king and queen standing at the door next to Mal's father, the queen clapping enthusiastically at the show.

Queen Eleanor was the first to speak, tugging at King John's sleeve. "Oh, honey! Isn't this wonderful? Another Sir to introduce to Koley!"

The king smiled at his wife warmly and looked the unmoving boy up and down, scrutinizing him for any imperfections. Not too tall, not too short, not too muscular or weak, he certainly seemed rich enough, and finally, handsome. With his captivating green eyes and curly blond hair, he would make any young girl pine for a second glance. And, hopefully, his daughter.

"Yes," his eyes narrowed slightly, sending a shiver up the poor boy's spine. "but he really should show us more respect, not even bowing when we entered the room!"

Joseph struggled to break his stance and attempted to speak.

"Uh..."

Queen Eleanor shot the king an angry glance and accused, "Well, now you've gone and scared him!"

"Uh..."

King John's voice boomed, "I have not!"

"Uh..."

The queen huffed, "Just look at him! The poor lad is shaking like a leaf!"

"Uh..."

Mal broke his kneeling position and stood to his full height, passing up Gar, Joseph, and the queen and interrupted, "I should like to make a statement on the Sir's behalf," The king and queen were shocked and a bit aggravated by his interruption, but remained silent. "if you would permit me to do so." Mal requested to his friend, who managed the slightest nod.

"Sir Joseph certainly would have bowed when you made your entrance, but he is weighted down by these gifts," he gestured to the sparkling jewelry. "and was not sure if he could get up after he had shown the respect you clearly deserve." Mal spoke smoothly and easily, always good at thinking on his feet.

Queen Eleanor was delighted. "These are all for us? How sweet of you!" she advanced to stand in front of "Sir" Joseph and kissed him on both cheeks, to which he blushed.

"Yes," the king agreed, now standing next to Queen Eleanor, "these will go wonderfully with our outfits to the ball." he was now to "Sir" Joseph's left, examining the necklace he had finished most recently. "Especially this one, which I'm supposing is for Nickole?" he looked at the jeweler turned Sir, who nodded vacantly in confirmation.

A wide grin stretched across King John's face. "Splendid! Come, we must arrive at the castle before it is too dark."

That statement brought "Sir" Joseph out of his daze.

"Why?" he croaked out.

The king's smile, miraculously, grew bigger. "Well, you want to meet the princess for whom you shall be competing," he observed that the princess' newest suitor did not catch on. "for her hand," still not getting it. "_in marriage._"

Click.

The blond paled and nearly fainted, but Mal got there soon enough. Gar broke out of his stupor and helped get the "Sir" out of the burdening jewels.

"These gifts are heavier than any of us thought, and Sir Joseph must be tired form his journey here from...Jericho." the herald explained quickly.

The queen turned her attention from Joseph, now looking very plain in his commoner-like clothing, to the hooded herald. "Jericho? I don't think I've _ever_ heard of _that_ kingdom!" she turned to her husband, "Have you, dear?"

King John thought a moment before answering, "No, I certainly have not." he took a step toward Mal. "Where is the kingdom of Jericho, herald?"

"Um..."

"No matter!" King Eleanor delayed his ill-prepared response. "I'm sure it's a wonderful place to raise a family!"

"Sir" Joseph's eyes widened. "F-Family? As in...children? With the princess?"

"Hmm, I guess he's just good-looking." the king deduced.

Joseph began to feel woozy and, before he knew it, his head hit the hard ground of the shop.

* * *

**AN: Ok, this chapter in a nutshell: king and queen walk in on Joseph and company pretending Joseph is a Sir, the king and queen think it's real and want "Sir" Joseph to be a suitor for Nickole, Mal comes up with a good cover story, and Joseph faints. And if they're found to be commoners (which they are), they will be killed for making fools of the crown. No pressure, right? **

**Eh, a bit shorter than usual but ok. And with alot of dialogue. I hope it wasn't too boring. :P**


	4. The City of Jericho

**AN: Holy crap, people reviewed! 0_0 So thanks to TheBeatles141 and TheDarkQueenOfRandomness for giving me the extra push to write this chapter. You guys are so nice! :D **

**Disclaimer: Sorry, dudes. :( **

* * *

**Nickole's Room **

"Another suitor?!" the princess cried. She just couldn't believe her parents had miraculously found _another_ one of those morons.

"Dear, please," her mother began. "we just want you to be happy."

"Happy?" she snarled. "How can I be happy when my parents are forcing me into marriage with idiotic nitwits who think that they need only wink or blow me a kiss to make me swoon?" she pulled the comforter up over her head.

The queen, noticing Koley would not be listening to her, huffed at her daughter's un-princess-like behavior and left the room, the door slamming in her wake.

Nickole let out an exasperated sigh, thinking that this new suitor would be as charming as a dead worm.

_"Ugh, I cannot wait until those strangers leave."_ she thought to herself, trying to recall all of her potential husbands. Some were more memorable, such as Wallace of Centaria and his wide smile, but that was all she remembered of him. Richard of Gotham was less than talkative, giving him an air of mystery, but that was all she could associate with the name. Gavin of Stormton had certainly talked himself up during those mandatory two hours of visiting. There were others, but none of them had particularly memorable traits.

_"Hmm, I take no interest in any of them." _Nickole discerned from fragmented memories of their times together. _"Mother will always be pestering me about marriage." _she thought miserably, turning on her side and attempting to sleep.

* * *

**Awhile Later**

Nickole heard the large door across the room creak open, then the herald entered her room and made his way over toward the bed. There was silence between them for some time before the dark-skinned man finally spoke.

"Love is a wonderful thing. I would hate for anyone to live their life without it." Nickole pushed back the covers to look at Samuel, who she felt was one of her only friends in all the castle, save a select few of the castle's workers. Those being Victor, the man in charge of lowering and raising the draw-bridge; Karen, the hand-maid with the task of making her look presentable every day; and, lastly, Tobias and Mark, who tended the gardens.

"So I'm supposed to fall in love with one of the suitors that I've already turned down?" she questioned.

Samuel smiled. "No, you have made it quite clear that you do not love any of your current suitors. But I am beginning to think that you have judged Sir Joseph before you have even met him, associating him with the others?" the last sentence sounded like a question, and Nickole answered with a somewhat embarrassed nod. "Well, let me tell you a story about someone who was judged unfairly, long ago."

"Once upon a time, there was an ancient city, the city of Jericho, where a bronze statue of Justice stood in the public square. It's left hand upholding the scales, and the right a sword, symbolizing that justice reigned over the laws of the land and over the people themselves. Even the birds had built their nests in the scales, having no fear of the sword that flashed in the sunshine above them. But over time these laws where corrupted, and the mighty ruled with an iron rod.

Then it chanced in a nobleman's palace that a necklace of pearls was lost, and suspicions quickly fell on an orphan girl who lived as a maid in the household. She, being tried and condemned to die on the scaffold, patiently met her doom at the foot of the statue of Justice. As her innocent spirit fled to Heaven, a great tempest rose against the city; and the bolts of thunder smote the the statue, and hurled in wrath from its left hand the clattering scales of the balance. For in the hollow was the nest of a magpie discovered, and within those clay walls was the pearl necklace found."

Having finished his story, Samuel waited for a response from the princess, who was quickly drifting into sleep. After a few long minutes, she spoke.

"What happened after that?"

Samuel took notice of how tired her voice was and answered simply, "Jericho disappeared." he was certain she had heard this, even though she appeared to be asleep.

* * *

**In "Sir" Joseph's Room **

"So this is the story so far," Mal began to explain to his blond friend, who had woke up not five minutes ago. "You are from the city of Jericho, but do not know it's exact location or anything particular about it. If anyone asks, you just tell them it's just like any other city. You are here for the princess' hand, of course, but you will not actually try to win her heart. Pretend is all this is. You were in the jeweler's shop because-"

"I work there." a slightly annoyed Joseph cut in, standing up.

"What are you so angry about?" inquired Gar, who was at the other side of the room touching everything he could reach.

"Yes, Mal's story is quite proof of fools." Kori added, walking over from the now thoroughly examined trunk at his left.

Joseph sighed, "I don't like to lie. I want to be myself."

"Yourself is a commoner, and something tells me the king and queen would not like to know that they let a commoner into their home." Mal accused. "They never invite us to anything, they don't tell us anything, they barely leave their palace unless invited to a party by nobles. _They cannot stand us._"

Kori put her hand on Joseph's shoulder and softly suggested, "Maybe you should try to not get us into trouble. As Mal's father, the true herald, has done."

"Yes, I would like to keep my head and my body together." Gar chimed in, earning himself a hit squarely on the arm from Mal. "Ow..."

"So, shall we get our stories straight?" Mal requested to "Sir" Joseph, who had the key part of their little play. The boy nodded.

"We are ready to do the covering up, Mal." Kori confirmed, taking a seat with the other two actors.

"Let us get started then."

* * *

**AN: The story about the city of Jericho is from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's _Evangeline. _I just added in the name Jericho. :P **

**Yep, Mal's dad is getting in on this now! Maybe some other characters too...**

**And Joseph and Nickole meet in the next chapter! At least that's what I'm hoping will happen, but he might just talk to the other suitors. Because my writing is so rambly and long that will take a whole chapter. :( And I'll probably introduce Victor, Karen, Tobias, and Mark too. **

**But I need inspiration, so review!**


	5. Hide and Seek

**AN: Man, this chapter was hard to write! Sorry for the wait! :(**

**And thanks to TheBeatles141 (who has reviewed every chapter so far!), TheDarkQueenOfRandomness, Miss geek, and krikanalo for reviewing on my last chapter. And to the people who followed and favorited and all that jazz. :D**

**Disclaimer: We've been over this. -_-**

* * *

**In The Waiting Room**

Sir Wallace of Centaria was never late for a meeting or a meal, earning himself the title "Fastest Man Alive" from the workers on his family's estate. Most would laugh at this seemingly foolish statement, but the workers would laugh because it was true. One minute he would be in his room playing checkers with anyone he could find, the next he would be tearing down the hallways in a desperate attempt to make it to dinner before the bell. That is exactly why Sir Wallace arrived in the princess' waiting room just moments before the other suitors, who he had barely dodged in his haste.

He skidded to a stop in the middle of the brightly decorated room, nearly slamming into a yellow armchair before coming to a complete stop. Shortly after opening his eyes and noticing he had stopped a few inches away from said armchair, he jumped over the back and claimed the seat. He smirked as his competitors and their announcers filed in behind him.

"Beat you again! It's like you guys aren't even trying!" Wallace flashed them his best grin, but most of them were too distracted by their surroundings to notice.

A huge crystal chandelier hanging above their heads, chairs for each of them in every color of the rainbow, bright red curtains over each window, a red tablecloth covering all the tables, a gigantic red rug under their feet with designs threaded in gold. It wasn't difficult to figure out who was the king and queen's favorite, Sir Richard of Gotham.

After claiming the blinding red chair across from the Fastest Man Alive, the favorite quipped, "What gave it away? That you've won since we first came here, or that we didn't speed up when we heard you thundering down the hall behind us?"

"The second one." the champion answered the dark-haired Sir immediately. "But you guys could have put a _teensy _bit of effort into beating me this time."

Sir Richard's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter who gets here first. What matters is who wins the princess' heart, not some red-head's imaginary race." he crossed his arms. "And it _is _against the rules to run in the palace."

"So?"

"So you're not following the rules."

"So?"

"...idiot."

"That really hurts, Dick!" Sir Wallace whined.

Dick shook his head. "Not as much as the princess next challenge will, Wally." he smiled. "And how's that cold of yours?"

"Oh, shut it."

"Come on, you must be feeling better because you're here now."

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

Dick let it drop. "What do you think she has in mind this time?"

His friend smiled and shrugged. "I al-" A herald's announcement interrupted him, saying something about another Sir entering the room.

All the suitors turned to get a look at their newest competitor, who was no longer wearing the flashy necklaces he had made before the king and queen had walked into his life. The "Sir" now looked quite plain in commoner's clothing, a light brown, long-sleeved shirt with dark brown pants; and his gaze was on the ground, not looking anyone in the eye. Not much to see in the eyes of his competitors, so most gave him no more than a glance before continuing whatever they had been doing before Mal's largely ignored introduction. But unfortunately for the shy "Sir" Joseph, Sir Wallace had taken an interest in him, for whatever reason.

The red-head got up out of his chair and quickly walked to the doorway, where the plain "Sir" cautiously hung back."Hello, I'm Wally!" he greeted the blond with a smile and shook the startled boy's hand. "Sir" Joseph lifted his head and gave Wally a questioning look.

"I-I'm Joseph," the "Sir" introduced himself quietly. "from Jericho," he gave a tiny smile and gestured to Mal. "and this is my good friend, Mal."

Wally looked at him a bit funny before breaking into a wide grin. "Nice to meet you, Mal!" he shook the dark-skinned actor's hand enthusiastically. "It's weird. Most Sirs aren't friends with their heralds." he shrugged. "We don't even listen to the announcements that much anymore." Mal's eyes narrowed at Joseph, whose smile grew slightly bigger.

This had _not _been part of the plan. Kori, Gar, and Mal were supposed to be in the background, forgettable. Not out in the open being introduced to a _real _Sir. But Joseph had not liked his part in the plan, being as rude and unlikable as possible so the princess would never choose him. So to show his displeasure at Mal's "proof of fools" plan, he would ignore the background rule.

"Yes, we have been friends for quite awhile." Joseph informed the real Sir, ignoring Mal's angry glare.

Wally raised an eyebrow to this. "Really? How long?"

"A couple years. Since I was...seven?" he looked at Mal for confirmation, and the "herald" nodded. "So it would be ten years now."

"Quaint."

"_Very_." Mal muttered sarcastically as he turned to leave the room.

"What's wrong with him?" a, yet again, confused Wally asked his new friend once the "herald" was out of sight.

Joseph waved it off as if to say "it's nothing".

The smile was back. "Well, Joey, you're going to like it here. Great food, a good-looking princess to compete for, servants everywhere, the ball, and your new friends!" Wally gestured to himself and a dark-haired boy. He guided Joey toward the empty green chair next to his yellow one and pushed him into it.

Shortly after Wally introduced a very stiff Joseph to a very cold Dick, the princess entered the room. Wally and Dick turned in their chairs to get a good look at her, but Joey just wanted to disappear.

She wore a simple white dress that left little to the imagination, and it seemed that her gloves covered more skin stopping a little above the elbow. Her reddish-pink hair had been pulled back and curled, save a few strands that framed her heavily decorated face, but no amount of make-up could cover _that _scowl. She ordered her guards outside the door before greeting her dreaded suitors halfheartedly.

"Hello again, gentlemen."

There was an unenthusiastic mumble that sounded vaguely like a "hello" from most of the suitors in response. Sir Elliot had merely nodded in acknowledgment, and "Sir" Joseph tried to blend in with his lime chair.

"Hello!" at least Wally was still cheerful.

"It's...nice to see you all." she sighed. "As you all know, I will be forced to choose one of you as my husband within one week of my sixteenth birthday, which means a challenge more difficult than the last, so this year's challenge will be a searching game. Since I will not be in the same place for the full two hours, you will be given hints to help you find me. Once someone finds me, I will relocate to another place. Understood? Good." she turned and left the room after that.

One of the guards entered the room after she left and gave them their hint. "Princess Nickole is in her room."

Those six words started a bit of a frenzy. People were _not _supposed to run in the palace, as Sir Richard had said and Sir Wallace had ignored, so the "frenzy" was really Sir Wallace breaking that rule and Sirs Richard, Gavin, and Roy half running through the door after him. Sir Elliot and "Sir" Joseph remained in their seats, the first not caring and the second not knowing what to do.

Not long after their departure, Sirs Roy and Gavin returned with the news that the princess actually was not in her room, which completely baffled them. How could she not be where the hint said? After thinking this over for about ten seconds and agreeing to blame it on each other, "Sir" Joseph decided to exit the room before they began to actually fight.

He had been wandering around about five minutes before Sir Wallace ran into him.

"Sorry!" the Fastest Man Alive pulled the boy up and began brushing imaginary dirt off his commoner clothes. "Didn't see you there! Oh, and Princess Nickole isn't in her room, just to let you know." Joseph nodded in an "I know" fashion. Wally hesitated a moment before blurting out, "Do you need some help? I can give you directions to her room if you want to take a look for yourself."

Joseph shrugged "why not?" and Wally began to fill him in. "Alright, the princess' room is one of the center rooms, which means it's located near the center of the castle. It also means that it will be pretty easy to get lost, so listen carefully." Joseph nodded. "It's right down that hall, fif-no third!- door on your left! I'm going to go look around some more, bye!" he bolted down the hall, probably to look for the princess.

Following Wally's directions, he found what he thought was the princess' room and, out of habit, knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" came the musical reply.

"Sir" Joseph blanched. He recognized that voice.

A short, plump woman wearing a sunflower-yellow dress answered the door, took one look at him, and smiled. "Why, Sir Joseph, I wasn't expecting you! Do you need any help with anything, because the servants' dorms are only a few rooms away." she pointed across the hall and three rooms away.

"Sir" Joseph gulped and replied, "N-No, Queen Eleanor, I was just looking for Princess Nickole."

The queen sniffed, "That girl! She avoids those boys like the plague!" she remembered "Sir" Joseph and her tone turned sweet as she informed him, "And Koley's room is two doors down the hall and to your right."

"Oh, um, sorry for bothering you."

Queen Eleanor waved off the apology. "Oh, it's fine, dear. I've lived here for many years and even I get a little lost sometimes!"

"Sir" Joseph smiled nervously as he began slowly inching away from the door. "Alright...I had better go now...bye."

The queen beamed at him. "Good-bye to you as well!" she slammed the door and "Sir" Joseph started to walk away. The door swung open again, causing the "Sir" to jump. "And good luck!" it slammed again.

Joseph glanced back at the door before breaking into a run, just in case the queen was still up for conversation.

Then he thought of his parents, and how he gave the king and queen _free _expensive jewelry! The only two people who could actually afford all the jewels got them for free because they had taken the jeweler's step-son by surprise. His family couldn't do without that money, and they had told Garfield's caretakers that they would pay them in full for the gems when they had their payment. Now, because of him, they would never have that payment.

He stopped at the end of the hall, turned around, and sped back to the king and queen's room.

He rapped on the door a few times and waited for Queen Eleanor to answer. Instead, the king came into view, being even scarier than Queen Eleanor, and certainly intimidated the "Sir" more than the bubbly queen. His deep voice, his height, his air of authority, the way he spoke, his body language, his eyes.

"Sir Joseph." he nodded curtly. Joseph bowed respectfully before the king continued, "And why are you here?"

"To make a request." was the simple answer.

The king nodded again and waited for the request, but "Sir" Joseph was quiet as a mouse. After nearly a minute of waiting, the king realized why. He sighed. "You may speak now."

"Oh, um...I was wondering if you could-would?-um, how do I..." he shut his eyes, took a slow breath to calm himself, and tried to think like Mal. "King John, the jewelers who fashioned the jewelry I have given you..." he looked the king in the eyes. "I've cheated them out of their money. They expected payment, but..." he dropped his gaze. "I have nothing of value, and I'm not supposed to even be here."

The king was silent for what seemed like an eternity before demanding, "Why are you asking me to help them when you know it is _your _responsibility to pay them?"

Joseph shrank back. "I have nothing to pay them with," he swallowed hard. "but you do. Please, she needs you."

King John became silent again before making a decision. "I will pay them."

Joseph's eyes went wide and his head snapped up to look at the forgiving king. "What? _Why_?"

"Well, what would the people think of me if they didn't get payed by someone associated with the crown?" the king smiled. "You are above the commoners and candidate for my daughter, and she must be reminded that she must choose a husband this year or lose her place in line after me, and I believe that your entering the competition has reminded her of that duty."

Joseph said nothing, which King John took as a "go on".

"I do not expect you to win, but she must notice that we have control of which suitors she is allowed to even consider. But I want her to have the best, which is why I have arranged a marriage for her in case she still has not come to a decision after the ball." he noticed Joseph's shocked expression and explained, "She has had nearly four years to make a decision, and we can wait no longer." he smiled again. "I do wish you the best at winning her over, Sir Joseph."

As the king slipped into his room, "Sir" Joseph felt a strong urge to get away.

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**AN: And so you get a look at what kind of person King John _really_ is. 0_0 Because really, he plays a bigger part in this than you think. **

**Will Princess Nickole choose her own groom, or will he be chosen for her? Will the suitors ever find her? Will "Sir" Joseph stop running into members of the royal family? Will we be hearing from Gar, Kori, or Mal any time soon? Will I be stuck with writer's block again? All this just might be in the next chapter! :P **

**I already have the next chapter half-way done, so unless I want to go in a different direction, it should be up soon.**


	6. Rose the Stalker

**AN: Well, this was no fun at all. The only reason I keep on writing chapters is because people like it, but it might not be as good now that I found out that fanfiction isn't good for me, and I certainly won't be reading as much as I was before.**

**Thanks to Kid, koryandrs, TheBeatles141 and Smartgirl1718 for their reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. That goes for everyone else who reads this too. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: If I owned this show, there would have been some Slade and Jericho episodes, but I don't so it's just on fanfiction. **

* * *

"Ok," a teenage boy with wild and short orange hair began. "so I get why you are here, but why are you dressed like that?"

Princess Nickole shrugged. "My parents, us usual, didn't give me a choice."

"...oh. Well, I'm going to get you a coat, sister."

"Thanks, Toby."

The other twin, Mark cupped his hands in front of his mouth. "Make sure you're not followed!" Tobias turned his head and nodded. Mark turned to speak with the princess and froze. "I will be right back." he sprinted past a few doors until he reached the one leading to the garden, where he worked with Toby. He held the door and stuck his head out into the autumn wind before exiting the castle.

Princess Nickole shrugged. _"He probably has to prepare the garden for winter." _she frowned at the thought of not being able to sit out on sunny days and not having fresh flowers in her room. Those irises, daisies, and roses would be the last ones of the year. _"I hate winter. It's too cold."_

"Hey, Koley!" Toby came into view, just rounding the corner to her left. He held a dark brown coat that was definitely too large for her over his arm, almost tripping over it a few times. The coat-bearer gradually slowed until he reached her and thrust the coat into her arms. He looked all around before asking, "Where did Mark go?"

"Outside." she held the shoulders of the coat and smiled. "It's a bit big, but it should work. Thank you."

"No problem. I hate seeing someone I see as my sister in...that." he gestured to the low cut, sleeve-less dress that her parents had forced on her in the middle of October. "I would bet they are trying to lure the suitors in with this, um, _revealing_ outfit." he shook his head and changed the subject. "Why did Mark want to go outside again?"

"He didn't say. I thought he had some work to do outside before winter, so I didn't ask why."

"But we finished up yesterday. Why would he want to go out there again?" Toby started walking down the hall to the heavy garden door at the very end.

Koley finished tying a sash around her new coat and pulled it close around her, all while trying to keep up with Toby. She might have had longer legs than the fourteen-year-old boy, but she was only a little bit taller. "It's too cold for me." she remarked. Toby opened the creaky door and held it open for her, like a true gentleman, but she did not go through the door. "Why do you want us to go out there anyway? You did say there was nothing to do."

"Because I want to know why Mark came out here."

She sighed. "Fair enough." she stepped into the October air and took in the scenery. Black skeletons of once-beautiful trees reaching toward the gray sky, bare flower beds covered with a blanket of fallen leaves, and a twenty-foot wall surrounding her home. "Mother still wants to have the ball outside?"

He grinned, showing the gap between his front teeth. "Do you care?"

"No! It's just...I want to be prepared in case they pull this little dress stunt again." Her parents knew that she wouldn't wear her current dress willingly, so they made it so she had no choice in the matter. They had servants pull all her other dresses from her wardrobe while she was sleeping, leaving only their birthday present for her to wear in the morning.

Toby shook his head. "Sure, you aren't scared _at all_." he turned on his heel, making Koley stop walking. "It's just that you have run out of time to hide from this whole marriage thing and have to announce that you love someone who you really don't, therefore lying to all the people in your kingdom _and_ his." he shook his head sadly. "You have to choose, or the king will choose for you."

Koley's eyes widened. "Oh no." _"They cannot do this to me. I thought they loved me, enough to trust me at least."_

Now it was Toby's turn to be surprised. "You didn't know?" she frowned and shook her head. "Your parents already have someone lined up for you in case you don't announce your own engagement by the end of the ball."

Her mouth dropped open. "But the ball is only two days away! Ugh, they _never_ tell me _anything_!"

Toby held his hands up in front of him in surrender. "Don't get mad at me. It was your father's idea, and you know how he is." his expression was hard, his mouth set in a straight line. He put his hands down, turned his back to her, and started walking. "Let's find Mark."

She followed, looking around for any sign of Mark. All she saw was an endless line of bare trees and once colorful leaves scattered everywhere but on the sidewalk. Toby and Mark must have swept them up to keep the garden looking as nice as possible.

"_How do they maintain all of this? There's so much." _Then she remembered that the colony to which the twins once belonged had had miles of farmland in their possession, before their land was taken that is.

Toby suddenly pulled her down behind a small wall with a rose bush to partially conceal them and motioned for her to be quiet. She could hear voices talking a few feet away, and heard every word spoken despite the distance.

First she heard a voice she did not recognize ask, "So the ball shall be indoors this year?" she peeked over the short wall and through the rose bush to try to get a good look at the stranger, but all she saw was brown. Toby pulled her back down.

Then she heard Mark reply, "Yes, the queen thinks it will be too cold for it to be held outside, so we did all this sweeping for nothing."

"That's too bad."

A few moments of silence passed before Mark continued, "I work here with my brother, Tobias, so we would have had much more work to do if we had to prepare for the ball. Now I have the next few days off instead!" a few more moments of silence. "Do you not want to talk?"

The unknown voice sounded a bit surprised at the question. "No! I-I just don't talk much."

"I noticed."

"Um...where is your brother?"

"Huh?"

"If you work together, shouldn't he be with you to help?"

"He went to go get a coat."

Toby took that as his cue. He ran the corner and accidentally crashed into the stranger, who let out a yelp. Then she heard Toby apologizing and Mark introducing him to the stranger, whose name was Joseph. One of the twins had helped Joseph back on his feet, but she could not see who it was.

She heard Joseph laugh and heard his hand patting the dirt off his clothes. "You are not the first today."

"Who else has it in for you?" Mark asked.

"You know Sir Wallace of Centaria, right?"

"Who doesn't?" Toby cut in.

"_Who doesn't, indeed. He is very popular with the people, very nice." _the princess thought.

She heard Toby. "That guy never slows down! He's going to hit someone one of these days." a short pause. "Oh, sorry, Joseph."

Princess Nickole peeked at her friends from her hiding place and saw Joseph, the only blond in the bunch, shrug his shoulders. _"He really does not like to talk." _she placed a hand on the top of the wall so she could slide her legs underneath her body. Unfortunately, that same hand landed right on a thorn, causing her to gasp and pull her hand back.

Joseph had heard the gasp and whirled around. His eyes widened when he spotted her, and he cocked his head to the side. "Who is she?"

Toby spoke up. "Uh, she's...our sister." he smiled and waved at her. "Are you alright, sis?"

She looked at him and blinked. "Yes, I'm fine." she placed her hand over the small puncture, effectively stopping most of the blood. "It's just my hand."

Mark squatted down next to her. "What happened?" he tried to move her hand, but she quickly stood up.

"It's nothing really." Mark stood up and crossed his arms, clearly not buying it. Koley sighed. "It's just a small cut."

"From what?"

"A thorn."

"Oh, here," he started digging through his pockets. After awhile, he turned them both inside out and pursed his lips. "I was going to give you a handkerchief or something to clean your hand with, but someone," he narrowed his eyes at Tobias, who smiled nervously. "borrowed it and never gave it back!"

"Sorry, brother."

"You should be! You _never_ give me my stuff back!"

"Look who's talking!"

As the argument began to heat up, Joseph slowly backed away from the quarreling twins. He stood beside the princess quietly, making no attempt at conversation. She looked at the clearly uncomfortable boy with mild interest. "_This boy must be one of the hired help." _she thought, taking in his appearance. Queen Eleanor was usually satisfied with the workers at the castle serving the guests, but this year was her last hurrah before her daughter married, so she was pulling out all the stops. _  
_

She saw Joseph fidgeting in the corner of her eye, and thought she might as well try to get a conversation going. "Um...I'm Rose." Joseph smiled, but did not speak. "Your name is Joseph, right?"

His eyebrows shot up. "How did you know?"

"Oh, I could here you from where I was hiding." she explained it like it was completely normal for her to eavesdrop on people she did not know.

Joseph opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but changed his mind and shook his head instead.

"Rose" sighed. _"And now he thinks you're a stalker. That's just what you needed." _She took a deep breath before trying again. "So...what are you doing here anyway?"

Joseph looked a bit spooked at the question, but seemed to gather himself before answering, "Nothing really." another few moments passed before he admitted, "I'm really a little lost."

"Oh, where ar-"

"We can help you!" came the eager voice of Tobias. Apparently the fight was over. "Come on!" he started toward the palace, but Mark grabbed his arm.

"We do not even know where he wants to go."

"Oh...forgot about that." he cleared his throat. "And where would you like to go, sir."

Joseph jumped. "I had better get going!"

Toby's eyes narrowed in confusion. "But you don't even know where-" but he was already gone.

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**AN: And so you meet Tobias and Mark. I know that in the show they got along real well, but real brothers usually don't (trust me), so I made it so Mark's sort of the more mature, older twin and Toby is the happy-go-lucky little brother. And now Koley's their pretend sister. :/ **

**I'm thinking of doing a chapter for the other characters (like Gar, Victor, some of the guests showing up for the ball, and maybe some people I haven't even mentioned yet), but I'm not sure. I haven't mentioned the other characters in awhile. **

**And I'll probably be pretty late on the next chapter, because I just realized that I had made fanfiction an idol and I'm trying not to anymore. I recently rededicated my life to Christ, and I want to stay as happy as I am now. I just can't see that happening with fanfiction in the way.**


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